London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Romford 1944
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Romford]
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15
(b) Diphtheria.
Propaganda in connection with Diphtheria Immunisation was
again maintained throughout the whole of the year, and every
available opportunity was taken of proving its value to parents.
Sessions for Immunisation and Schick Testing were again held
at each Child Welfare Clinic, and at all the Schools.
It is very difficult to assess the up-to-date percentage of
children who have been immunised, owing to the child exodus arising
from the evacuation scheme, but it is quite clear that the small
number of cases of Diphtheria which now come to our notice is a
reflection of the benefits which have occurred from our scheme,
which has now been in operation in this district for over 9 years.
The agent used for immunisation, viz., Alum Precipitated
Toxoid has again been obtained free of charge from one of the
Emergency Laboratories, and is likewise issued free from this
Department to any practitioner who requires it.
The following statistics relate to the state of Immunisation as at 31st December, 1944:—
Table 4.
| Under 5 yrs. | 5-15 yrs. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of children who completed the full course of Immunisation between 1st Jan. and 31st Dec. | 710 | 166 | 876 |
| (a) Approx. estimated No. of children | 4,772 | 9,700 | |
| (b) Percentage Immunised at 31st Dec. | 58 | 64 |
Table 5 gives the statistics since the inauguration of the scheme in Bomford in 1935, till the end of 1944.
Table 5.
| Number of Immunisation injections given at the Clinics | |
| Number of children who have completed the Course of Injections, either at the Clinics or Privately | 9,477 |
| Number of Schick Test Injections given at the Clinics, including control injections | 14,255 |
| Number who have been Schick Tested | 7,147 |
| Percentage found to be Immune after Course of Treatment | 91.9 |